Hi was told in telephone call from doctors surgery this week after blood test that I had type 2 diabetes and am struggling to take it all in , was told would get phone call from diabetic nurse in 2 weeks , is this normal protocol on the nhs , iv got so many questions and am frankly scared ,
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Diagnosed this week with type 2
- Thread starter Kelliee
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Leadinglights
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Welcome to the forum
Your experience is not unusual but do not panic as if your HbA1C which would have been the test used for diagnosis had been desperately high I would hope that the appointment would have been more timely. However you could ring them and ask what the result was, the actual number not just high, a bit high as that will determine what you need to do. Anything over 47mmol/mol will be diabetic.
If it is not too far into the zone then some dietary changes may be all that is required.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach is successful and this link will point you in that direction, there is good explanation and hopefully will prompt you with some questions you will likely have. It is based on the suggested no more than 130g carbohydrates not just sugar per day, it is not no carbs. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/. This will generally suit people but may depend if you are prescribed medication and what that is. Hopefully you will be given opportunity to try diet first.
It helps to keep a food diary with everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the amount of carbs so you can see how far you are from that and where the big hitters are in your diet. Carb information can be found in the nutritional information on packets etc, shop websites and the internet. The book or app Carbs and Cals is very useful as it gives carb values for various portions of a whole range of foods.
saffron15
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@Kelliee welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed in July and think I was just told by phone. For me it was a two stage process. Blood test at my request having been told previous blood samples had not been tested. Result 69. Told needed a second test to confirm although it was obvious to me I was diabetic. Second result 64. Given appointment with a nurse just over two weeks later. I'd say my surgery was average to mediocre. I phoned the diabetes helpline before my nurse appointment and after appointment I joined here. I wish I'd joined after first test. I went almost into a grieving period. To be fair to my surgery they are short staffed and ultimately as a type 2 you can do quite well whatever medical help. I'm a little envious where people have had more help. At my surgery Doctors do not deal with chronic conditions.
I was put on metformin which initially bunged me up but things loosened when dose was 3. I'm on 2 a day now. I was also put on an SGLT2. My reading now is 44.
Are you prepared to say what your reading is at may affect the advice you get? Most type 2s have tummy fat and losing it is a good idea. I lost 2lbs a week when first diagnosed by eating lots of fish and veg. Having discovered the forum I started having full fat Greek style yoghurt plus berry's nuts or seeds. The hcp I saw when I expressed worry not knowing how I was doing gave me a bg monitor. It was very helpful.
This website from a surgery in the New Forest is helpful. If you have weight to lose in the left hand corner are links to several websites like freshwell and caldesi.
newforestpcn.co.uk
The Diabetes UK site has lots of info and a learning zone.
Whatever you decide to do low calorie/ low carb or something else don't panic. Take it steadily. In the end you want to eat less carbs. I've given up pasta but still eat potatoes ( occasionally) and usually when out bread.
It is entirely normal to be scared but things will improve
I was put on metformin which initially bunged me up but things loosened when dose was 3. I'm on 2 a day now. I was also put on an SGLT2. My reading now is 44.
Are you prepared to say what your reading is at may affect the advice you get? Most type 2s have tummy fat and losing it is a good idea. I lost 2lbs a week when first diagnosed by eating lots of fish and veg. Having discovered the forum I started having full fat Greek style yoghurt plus berry's nuts or seeds. The hcp I saw when I expressed worry not knowing how I was doing gave me a bg monitor. It was very helpful.
This website from a surgery in the New Forest is helpful. If you have weight to lose in the left hand corner are links to several websites like freshwell and caldesi.
Diabetes & Metabolic Health | New Forest PCN
newforestpcn.co.uk
Whatever you decide to do low calorie/ low carb or something else don't panic. Take it steadily. In the end you want to eat less carbs. I've given up pasta but still eat potatoes ( occasionally) and usually when out bread.
It is entirely normal to be scared but things will improve
djdave
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Welcome to the world of diabetes @Kelliee
I agree with @Leadinglights if your blood glucose readings were too high they would have phoned back and got you in. On my diagnosis they took bloods Friday, Dr phoned Saturday morning, Diabetes centre phone Saturday afternoon and I was in first thing Monday with instructions to call if I felt unwell at all.
So I would think your levels are not too concerning for them, but may well be playing on your mind. Try to avoid too much food with very high carbs like pasta and pizza until the diabetes nurse has seen you 🙂
There is almost always someone on line in this forum so do call out for help if you are still worried
I agree with @Leadinglights if your blood glucose readings were too high they would have phoned back and got you in. On my diagnosis they took bloods Friday, Dr phoned Saturday morning, Diabetes centre phone Saturday afternoon and I was in first thing Monday with instructions to call if I felt unwell at all.
So I would think your levels are not too concerning for them, but may well be playing on your mind. Try to avoid too much food with very high carbs like pasta and pizza until the diabetes nurse has seen you 🙂
There is almost always someone on line in this forum so do call out for help if you are still worried
HayleyR
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Welcome to the forum @Kelliee
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis
It’s perfectly natural to be knocked a bit sideways by a diagnosis with T2, especially if it has come out of the blue. Many people first arrive on the forum feeling anxious and overwhelmed. But take heart, diabetes is potentially a very serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a kind of catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years but never quite managed to. Some people find that the changes they make to help their bodies manage glucose better have a significant positive impact on various other niggles and ailments, and say that they’ve not felt to well and healthy for years, despite now living with an incurable long-term condition!
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis
It’s perfectly natural to be knocked a bit sideways by a diagnosis with T2, especially if it has come out of the blue. Many people first arrive on the forum feeling anxious and overwhelmed. But take heart, diabetes is potentially a very serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a kind of catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years but never quite managed to. Some people find that the changes they make to help their bodies manage glucose better have a significant positive impact on various other niggles and ailments, and say that they’ve not felt to well and healthy for years, despite now living with an incurable long-term condition!
Hi and welcome to the forum @Kelliee. My surgery could not see me for two weeks after my second blood test and like you I was a bit dazed and worried. To help me and to prepare me for that first meeting I sat down and drafted a list of questions based on the information I gleaned from the Diabetes UK website in the Learning Zone and from reading through the posts in the forum sections. That really helped me when I saw the nurse. I also got my wife to look at the questions and to add any she thought were missing or would help her understand what diabetes would mean.
Still not sure why she asked about whether my life insurance covered this
Still not sure why she asked about whether my life insurance covered this
silver minion
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Welcome to the forum @Kelliee .
As I hope you are already finding, the people on here are willing to share their knowledge and experience of living with diabetes and support you while you are getting to grips with it all.
I haven’t got any additional advice to add, but try not to let the anxiety overwhelm you. Post on here as often as you want to.
As I hope you are already finding, the people on here are willing to share their knowledge and experience of living with diabetes and support you while you are getting to grips with it all.
I haven’t got any additional advice to add, but try not to let the anxiety overwhelm you. Post on here as often as you want to.